ePARA Inc. – Play Harder, Better Tomorrow

What we do

Barrier-free e-sports business

We plan, organize and support “barrier-free e-sports”, both online and offline.^*1

Embracing the perspectives of people with disabilities, we propose and carry out the ways to organize events that enables more people to enjoy themselves. This includes improving physical and informational accessibility. We also provide live broadcasting of these events.

OUR EXPERIENCES

Events hosted by ePARA:

Festival of disabilities×gaming “ePARA CARNIVAL 2022 SPRING”

• Fighting game competition without use of visual information “Shingan CUP powered by SYCOM”
• “Eleven-a-Side e-Soccer Stadium” where wheelchair e-soccer players show vigorous performance

and more

Commissioned events:

• FORTNITE online competition “e-Sport Festival―Grab the Victory Royale” (Junior Chamber International Kokubunji)
• TODA e-Sport Competition (TODA CORPORATION Workers Union)
• “SD Game Fest 2022” (Certified Specified Nonprofit Organization Sodateage Net)

and more

Lectures and presentations:

• Kumamoto eSports Conference (Kumamoto-Jo Hall Opening Commemoration Project Committee)
• Session “Getting started with para e-sports” (Fukui Prefecture)
• “Tokyo eSports Festa 2023” Business Session (Tokyo eSport Festa Executive Committee)

and more

Employment support for people with disabilities

We help people with disabilities to bring out their full potential in working. They will be commissioned or employed to take part in various jobs related to our “barrier-free e-sports business” mentioned above. We also work with external welfare centers to co-create programs aimed for employment of people with disabilities.

OUR EXPERIENCES

• Selected as “Tokyo Social Firm” preliminarily certified company (Tokyo Foundation for Employment Services)
• Entered into the employment agreement with NAOYA, a congenitally totally blind e-sport player
• Entered into the employment agreement with Jeni, a fighting game player with severe physical disability
• Supporting activities of Barrier-Free Project Team “Fortia”

and more

Demonstrative Experiments and Co-creation/R&D Support

We work with companies, universities, research institutes and local governments to conduct experimental verifications designed to create a society where people with disabilities can shine as they are. We also evolve the results from these experiments to co-create diverse services or products and to provide support to research and development.

OUR EXPERIENCES

Demonstrative experiments:

• “Cross the Border” SEASON 1—seeking for the potential of mobility in the journey created by a community of people with disabilities (Toyota Mobility Foundation “Make a Move PROJECT”)
• “Cross the Border” SEASON 2—creating the world where everyone can be a racer with e-sports (Toyota Mobility Foundation “Make a Move PROJECT”)

Co-creation/R&D Support:

• BMI Brainpic 2022 by Internet of Brains (Junichi Ushiba Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University)

CEO

Daiki Kato

CEO of ePARA Inc. / Director of NPO Citizens Guardianship Support Association

Born in 1981 in Nishikasugai District, Aichi Prefecture (currently Kitanagoya City).

Graduated from Tokai High School; Chuo University Faculty of Law, Department of Law; Hosei University Law School, Graduate School of Law.

After quitting working as a court clerk (national civil servant), Daiki joined a social welfare corporation Shinagawa Ward Council of Social Welfare.

While working for the Council , he teamed up with friends he met in the welfare industry and planned  an e-sports tournament for people with disabilities. Then he established “ePARA Inc.”

Company